Lululemon vs Costco: the fashion copycat fight

THEY say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but what happens when it veers into outright theft?

Costco, the members-only discount store, has long been famous for private label products that compete head to head with national brands in everything from vodka and cranberry juice to mattresses and laundry detergent. Its Kirkland signature products are so popular that it has become something of a national guessing game in the US to determine which manufacturers actually produce them.

But rivals contend that the Washington state-based group’s recent forays into lookalike clothing have taken emulation a step too far. Last week Lululemon, the luxury athletic clothing brand, sued Costco in federal court in California, alleging that it had illegally copied at least six patented clothing designs, including its popular Scuba hoodie and Define jacket.